Theory of Magic
by 95remake
Summary: A typical time travel Fix it story written to fulfill the number of words to make a beta. The IT couple of wizarding world Harry and Hermione Potter embark on another quest to save the world again. Competing with a young Dumbledore, Dealing with pureblood politics, simultaneously establishing themselves in the muggle world will make this one of their most challenging one yet.
1. Chapter 1

THEORY OF MAGIC By Remake

Harry and Hermione Potter Nee Granger were just getting settled near the latest and final clue in their quest of discovering lost magics. There wasn't even a peep from the couple as they started their usual routine of setting up the tent with a familiarity that only came from years of being together. Comfort charms, Anti-Portkey and Apparating Jinxes, Enough Repelling and Defensive wards rendering the small deceptive tent the most well defended magical dwelling short of old family manors. Finishing the assembly of the tent the most famous couple of the wizarding world, two-thirds of the golden trio settled for the night drinking hot cocoa by the fire place snuggling with each other.

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Unlike many of his friends' life for one Harry Potter truly began once he was dead. The self-fulfilling prophecy Neither can live while other survives became literally true for him. Starved and neglected in his childhood, introduced into a magical world without any knowledge at eleven, faced blood thirsty monsters and terror inducing adventures which ended in a historic showdown in a final battle. The entirety of his adventures which inspired many books were only the start of a legend that eclipses the works of many of his predecessors like Albus Dumbledore and talked about with the likes of Nicholas Flamel. Hermione Granger on the other hand was brought up care and love in the household of Grangers who were common dentists. Born with an eidetic memory the small bushy haired girl grows up to be the premier authority on magical theories. It stands to the greatest irony of all time that the ordinary muggle born girl will discover so many forgotten traditions, festivals, rituals that leave her pure blood counterparts seething with jealousy. The pair of the golden trio were not the only people that go on to receive wide spread acclaim after the war. Ronald Weasley called Ron starts working with his elder brother George and ends up making WWW (Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes) one of the most successful magical companies of all time. Neville Longbottom once a timid stout boy goes on to discover 15 new uses of existing magical plants before going on to become the youngest professor at Hogwarts and eventually running the venerated institution. Parvati Patel in fashion, her sister as professor of Runes, Lavender Brown in Journalism, Susan Bones as Head of DMLE so on and so forth ended up running the wizarding world. Ginny Weasley became the youngest ever chaser to start for the Harpies and eventually leading the team to one of their most successful seasons yet. While childhood romances forged in the heat of moment faded soon enough, The friendships created in the war lasted a life time. The Weasley's needed their privacy and huddled together after the loss of Fred and Harry refused point blank to abandon Hermione to search for her parents alone. While it created tensions in the short term eventually the golden trio reconciled among a lot of gossip fueled speculations and settled into their respective fields. Harry discovered his need for adrenaline and Hermione her passion for learning everything about the wizarding world. When he is not visiting his most pampered godson Harry travelled the world with his partner Hermione discovering lost magics, dealing with dark wizards and basically enjoying his life. Once Hermione reconciled with her parents they took a break year resting and Harry catching up with his academics. He then started a life time of adventure which eventually proved every false book written about him true. He and Hermione became a terrific team with him eventually proposing in a lost pharaoh's tomb after five years of dating and another happy marriage for the next twelve. Their compelling journey finally brought them to the final abode of Master of Magic Merlin himself.

There are many varied theories regarding Merlin's supposed capabilities. To say he was a genius is a gross understatement. But the amount of research he produced in the number of fields along with the amount of adventures he had is always baffling. Time-turners though existing for a few decades are a relatively new invention have the problem of aging the person the amount of time for which it is used. The most accepted theory for his capabilities is that he found the mythical sands of time. Unlike the turners made with sands from pixie dust the true sands of time are supposed to be the perfect way of time travel. The user of the sands of time unlike the time turner can travel to any point in the history of time with all their knowledge and blend perfectly into the fabric of time. Considering the secrecy, around the wizard and his life there is no other way of debunking the myth.

Coming back to our heroes Harry and Hermione Potter are relatively very happy with their lives and very proud of their achievements. Their society is fairly run with little to no corruption. Brilliance in any field is widely encouraged and children are treated as the treasures they are. Racism of any kind is widely discouraged, and their society is a golden age for the wizarding world if not for its impending collapse.

The ending of second wizarding war brought upon by the efforts of the order of phoenix and the Dumbledore's Army changed the way of life for the entirety of the wizarding world. Too much dependence on too few men for the entirety of the last three decades and Ministry's own devices to keep their power left a once flourishing world in a state of complete decay and Correcting the problems of their society took a lot of work from the entirety of their class irrespective of their house or blood. Unlike the first war which ended with the Wizengamot firmly in the control of the so called Dark side upon the deaths of very prominent light pure blood families like Fawcett's, McKinnon's, Fawley's the second war made following the old ways almost criminal. Where the decade between the two wars caused almost all the muggleborns to return because of the rampant blood purism the aftermath of second war did not fare any better. The previously imperioused purebloods were all sent to the veil for their atrocious actions during the second war and muggleborns came to control the government for the first time. While this brought upon a lot of quality changes desperately needed for their society it was also a little too late. Wizarding world lacked the numbers it needed to survive. It took a good part of fifteen years for the society to correct its previous problems and finally discover the problem of numbers.

Widespread ignorance of muggle innovations and aggressive muggle land development in the muggle society in the last three decades caused destruction of many a magical species and ley lines. With the speed of change of Wizarding world being relatively slow compared to its muggle counterparts by the time the effects were realized it was a little too late. With every species of magical beings, every bit of territory lost the very ley lines that spread magic were being lost. At the time of realization enough ley lines have been lost to threaten the very existence of wizardkind itself. Fewer and fewer wizards muggle born or otherwise are being born every even in the muggle world problems began to spread. As if problems like Over population, pollution and global warming are not enough leaders like Trump and Kim jong un began to threaten the world with another nuclear war. The ICW then began a series of actions to anyhow stop this spread while assembling the best minds around the world to find any solution to the existing problem. It was then they again began to run into politics of being with muggles. The ICW members then began to argue themselves between destruction control or finding peace with muggles with no end in sight.

Of the people assembled Harry and Hermione potter loved their new society too much to let it be destroyed by the actions of their predecessors. It was a society they were proud to be part of and one they hoped to raise their children in. It was built upon blood and sweat of hundreds of witches and wizards that worked together and they knew they got everything right but for time. Ending the war a little earlier, giving the wizarding world a little push may be a decade earlier would have been enough to stop the problem altogether.

The lack of time while For some is an insurmountable obstacle, for witches and wizards of their capability it is another impossible quest to finish. Thus began their journey to find the mythical Sands of time and they almost reached their goal to the edge of the tomb of Merlin.


	2. Chapter 2

"You know Harry there is a reason you don't activate a rune unless you know and understand every single inch of it", said Hermione while running from a horde of inferi who were apparently immune to fire. "There was no way in from that infernal puzzle room Hermione. You said it yourself, Euler proved this 'seven bridges of Konigsberg' problem has no solution. So, I activated the only rune in the room that said open." Countered Harry all the while blasting the inferi with spells each with more power than an average wizard. The pair were running through a giant room which is apparently a replica of an old city of Prussia trying to cross all the seven bridges to reach a cathedral at the center of the room all the while avoiding triggering the traps that spread over every inch of the place key word being trying. "Only you Hermione would want to solve an impossible puzzle from 1500's while running for our lives", Harry replied carefully transfiguring a ditch which swallowed at least half the inferi before returning to its previous immaculate state. Hermione on the other hand moved her wand in a dizzying number of movements which had the inferi turn on one another and finished by locking them out of the bridges needed to cross to the center. "There that takes care of that", said Hermione blushing from the admiring gaze of her husband "but that's the thing Harry. This was a puzzle from 1500's. The variety of traps we have faced are from the ancient era Harry over different time periods. This puzzle seems to be from a period way later than the rest." "You think someone else found the place first, deemed the security insufficient, established an impossible puzzle room to further protect the tomb. Hermione this site is an intersection point for seven ley lines. Any more wards and this place would disappear into the mists like Avalon itself". "Exactly what should have happened Harry. As you said the wards if left alone would have completely obscured the tomb with no chance of anyone discovering it. But if some one broke in early 15th century and had no way of replacing the previous wards needed a new way to prevent intruders, an impossible puzzle maybe is just the way to go." Said Hermione getting excited with every word she spoke. "But Hermione, I activated the trap and only Inferi appeared. I just transfigured a ditch to drop them in. You stopped them with a ward line and made them attack themselves. Not a very good puzzle if you ask me." countered Harry. "Harry dear, not everyone rushes to activate a trap without solving the puzzle. Considering it is impossible they will virtually be stuck. Inferi that are unafraid of fire are the nightmare of any sane witch or wizard. The room is designed to allow only a single person at a time and the reason we could enter together is that we were bonded. Also, the room is made of amber which is considered least conductive to magic which means the power needed to transfigure the bridge to ditch should have killed any witch or wizard twice. And not to brag But I just re wrote the instructions given to an already created and bound inferi while drawing a ward line on said amber itself. So Yes, I believe the puzzle is almost impossible." Said Hermione while getting an earnest kiss from her husband. "You don't need to tell me my wife's amazing", replied Harry breaking the kiss. "So, shall we?"

"Entering the tomb itself was not very exciting to Harry at least compared to the traps they encountered before. No destructive traps, no killing monsters, nothing hindered their path except for a few dusty objects till they reached a fully sealed door which instead of stopping them disappeared into nothing on a simple touch from his wife. The couple simply looked at each other before stepping in together. "Their entire surroundings simply transformed into a place they both hated and loved the chamber of Headmaster of Hogwarts and seated in the chair was none other than Albus Dumbledore himself. Albus Dumbledore while no longer the paragon of light he was purported as he was still very well-respected man indeed. A boy genius born in a troubled family, well tempted by lure of power, lost family and his one true love, grew to be one of the most powerful wizards alive, fought dark arts all his life, tried to single handedly save the entirely world and died doing the same. While his achievements were great so were his failures. While trying to save others from the temptation of power he went on to hoard the entire power himself and hated himself for doing it. Having the power and hating using it made him entirely responsible for the stagnation that plagued the wizarding world in the last two decades. Instead of promoting knowledge and brilliance he removed the most powerful of magics both light and dark from the reach of the populace and became responsible for the bigotry and racism the ignorance promoted. Fearing another Grindelwald he created his most terrible mistake Tom Riddle. The couple knew that by the time of his death he was wise enough to recognize most of his faults and met death as the most self-aware man they had ever known. The room itself contained some of the most horrible memories of his life. It was here he came after the death of Sirius, it was here he knew the terrible secrets of Voldemort, it was here he learnt his fate of death. But for all Harry hated the man for planning his death, the secrets he kept he respected him too. It was similarly conflicting for Hermione. Especially since she idolized him since her entry into the wizarding world. She went from Ravenclaw to Gryffindor in the admiration which shaped her entire life till date. The fall from grace happened during the cold months spent in the tent all the while debating non-existing clues from a children's book whether to continue their quest for Horcruxes or collect the hallows. The confusion, the desperation, the life, the lies made her lose her faith in the leader of light. Neither of the couple had any doubts that the imperius defense claimed by the death eaters in the previous war was allowed only because Dumbledore knew about the problem of numbers. They also knew he made every effort for them to like Hogwarts so that there is no migration towards climates like Bulgaria. But in doing so he supported the same ideals of his enemy for the greater good. Both Harry and Hermione are well versed in art of the mind to know that man seated in front of them is only an aspect, a figment of their own mind the actions of the man made them very vary of even an aspect that looked like him.

"So once again my tomb is breached", said the aspect without a trace of any kind of emotion "A couple this time, surprising considering your youth. What is it you seek young ones? Is it glory of finding my tomb for you may take any of the artifacts proving the fact you were here. Is it Knowledge for you may receive my own tomes of unknown magics to further your own. Ask young ones for I always reward excellence and stepping in here is no mean feat, one that needs to be rewarded." "You are Merlin", said Harry gaping dumbly. Hermione recovering faster than her husband asked him "You left the clues for your tomb to be found like a quest?" "Well I am not Merlin himself young one, but an imprint left behind to guard the knowledge he left behind. I researched magic my dear irrespective of its use and in its course discovered great magics both good and terrible. And the world I resided in was not ready for the knowledge to be discovered. So, I left a quest and a challenge behind for the curious, the inquisitive and the eager to find it for the glory or the knowledge to be discovered once more. Each quester then left behind their own test to make this even more impregnable and the challengers became quite rare young ones" Replied the aspect with his eyes twinkling eerily like their deceased Headmaster. The twinkling stopped, and the eyes turned to stone when he heard their reply "Sands of time". "The magic of time is not something to be taken lightly young ones. You may be facing several problems young ones. But invoking the Sands of time the greatest of temporal magics is not done lightly and not something that is handed over easily to everyone. You will be tested, and it is neither for the simple nor the faint hearted. You are young and talented enough to find proper solutions to your problems young ones." "We did not come this far for some mere problem Master Merlin. Wizarding world is dying and After considering all the possible solutions we believe this is the best way forward. We seek the Sands of Time." "I neither know if your problem is as grave as you are professing, nor I get to care. Knowledge given to the worthy will take the world to great heights but the unworthy in possession of same knowledge will destroy the same. And I am the aspect of Myrddin Emrys left behind to safeguard the prodigious knowledge gathered by him and weed the unworthy from the worthy. Seeking the Sands of Time has left many a quester all quite talented dead or worse. So young ones, I ask again Are you sure you want the sands of time?".

"A single nod as one from the couple began the worst nightmare they have ever faced which is saying something considering some of their adventures. Harry saw his parents having lot of fights regarding kids before being horribly killed in a clash that resulted in the final victory of Voldemort, he saw Petunia being extremely loving to Dudley but tough enough to curb his more bullying tendencies and the Dudley family thriving. He saw Luna Lovegood commit suicide after years of being bullied. He saw the entirety of wizarding world suffering under the yoke of Voldemort. He keenly felt both the happiness and the suffering of hundreds of unknown eyes that looked at him as the cause. Hermione herself saw similar images to her husband. She saw her parents getting split up because of Kids, her mother suffering after remarrying an abuser, Ronald Weasley becoming a death eater after years of insecure bullying, Neville Longbottom cracking and killing an entire class after years under his domineering grandmother and no friends. She also saw Harry marrying a variety of women being very happy with a lot of kids already, she saw the entire Weasley family living after the war. Her throat grew hoarse from screaming what felt like eternity before it ended.

"The couple fell together as the room once again became a dust filled tomb just feeling each other to re-assure themselves of the presence of other and recuperating from the ordeal they just faced when the aspect spoke again. "What you just faced young ones is the entirety of your existence. As much as your decisions affect your own fate using the sands affect all the people you interacted with either knowingly or unknowingly. Your every interaction from a simple sorry to an unknown person to a heartfelt I love you to a loved one affects the world in a way or other. By using Sands of Time, you are erasing the entirety of your existence changing the realty itself. These are the consequences of using an object as powerful as the Sands of Time. So Young Ones do you want to proceed?". The couple took some time looking at each other thinking about the enormity of the task before them. They already discussed the consequences of their actions before and the ordeal just made it real. They embraced each other, turned to aspect together replied yes.


End file.
